Patients have confidence in ED nurses, CQC report shows

The majority of patients attending emergency medicine departments feel assured by the nurses treating them, data shows.

Three-quarters of patients attending the departments in September last year (2016) reported having confidence and trust in the nurses and doctors seeing them, statistics from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) show.

Some 78% of people felt they were treated with respect and dignity all of the time, and 73% definitely had enough time to discuss their medical problem with staff.

Staff reassurance

But of those who felt distressed while they were in emergency medicine, less than half (48%) said that a member of staff definitely helped to reassure them.

Of those who requested pain relief, 37% waited five minutes or less to receive it, but 29% waited for more than 15 minutes, and 7% never got any.

Some 61% of those who experienced pain said that hospital staff definitely did everything they could to help control the pain.

Overall reporting

CQC chief inspector of hospitals Ted Baker said: ‘The fact that the majority of people reported a good overall experience is testament to the efforts, and dedication of the frontline staff working in emergency departments to ensure that people receive the care and treatment they need.’

But Professor Baker expressed concern over the results around timely access to pain relief, and the fact that 4% of the 12,588 patients taken to the emergency medicine department by ambulance were forced to wait between one to two hours before being transferred to staff.

Further information

Read more from the CQC report

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